


Janna's Duty

by SosaLola



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:01:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9605093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SosaLola/pseuds/SosaLola
Summary: Jenny is a well-respected faculty member in a well-respected university. Until a visit ruins everything.





	

 

 

Jenny munched on a cinnamon roll, relishing the sweet flavor while waiting for the page to load on the computer screen. She’d skipped breakfast as usual, using those early hours to catch up on much needed sleep after pulling an all-nighter grading her students’ papers on her personal computer in her room. Her fellow college instructors still hadn’t caught up to the nineties of the twentieth century. The benefits of using technology in homework and evaluation were endless. Jenny had informed her students that she only received homework through mail, willing her computer science majors to get more accustomed with using the internet.   
  
She took a sip from her coffee mug, checking out Usenet in the computer room. She was trying to save enough money to get her own landline and bring the internet to her room instead of hogging the computer room every minute of every day.   
  
The determined footfalls and the aggressive push on the door disturbed the serene silence of the room. “Told you she’s here,” Elin, a fellow instructor, remarked in her usual snotty fashion. “Your uncle is here to see you.”   
  
Jenny made a face at her. She and Elin shared one office, unfortunately. Four years sharing the same space and they still disliked each other. They had different opinions on everything, though Jenny suspected her aloof personality might have had something to do with it as well.   
  
Jenny groaned in annoyance when her uncle walked into the room. “Not again.”  
  
“I don’t need to remind you again, Janna,” he began, his brows furrowed in disapproval over her show of disrespect.   
  
“I know. I know. Sacred duty to my people.” She pushed her chair back and placed a half-eaten cinnamon roll in the bag. “Uncle, I love my clan more than anything, but this is absurd. Why can’t we just kill the vampire?”  
  
“He needs to suffer for the massacre. Perhaps if you were one of the survivors of that fateful day you would understand.”  
  
“You weren’t there either,” she mumbled under her breath.   
  
“We’re servants of vengeance,” he said in determination, dismissing her remark. “Our mission is to honor the dead and exact suffering on the enemy regardless of the lives destroyed.”  
  
Jenny noticed a couple of her students at the door, puzzled expressions on their faces. They had clearly come to ask her a question and probably heard what her uncle had just said. She gave an apologetic smile. “Would you wait in my office, please? I’ll be right there.” She closed the door behind them, even her students had the sense to look for her in the computer room and not her office.   
  
“I still don’t see what you need me for,” she hissed at her uncle, leaning back against the closed door. “You got Cousin Elophia to spy on Angelus in LA.”  
  
“She’s dead.”  
  
Jenny’s heart dropped in shock. Old memories of her and Elophia stealing a couple of Aunt Meg’s cupcakes flashed before her eyes. “Did he… did he kill her?”  
  
“No. Not him.” His hand fiddled with the mouse of the computer she was using, watching the arrow on the screen moving in circular motion. “Her last report stated that Angelus is on the move to a small town called Sunnydale. Your uncle Camlo who already works there as a high school science teacher already volunteered to keep on an eye on him.”  
  
Jenny liked Uncle Camlo, they had a lot in common. Both had forged new names and identities to pursue their dreams. He’d been a teacher in that high school for years now. “I fail to see what you need me for.”   
  
“You’re in line to carry out your duties to your clan.”   
  
“What?” Suddenly Jenny’s world shattered before her eyes. “No, please, no! I’m in a critical time in my life. I’m already a well-respected faculty member in a well-respected university. I’m studying for my doctorates. You can’t take that away from me!”   
  
He regarded her calmly, clearly unbothered by her reaction. “You’re one of the very few who had shown a flare for magical talent. This could be useful to keep the beast sealed within the vampire.”  
  
Jenny snorted an incredulous laugh. “Magical talent? I’m just fond of magic knowledge. I haven’t practiced in years.”   
  
“Then it’s time you see to it.” He looked around the room in disdain. He’d always been a technophobe. “You’ve wasted years in this institution. You have a responsibility to your people, Janna, to the Kalderash clan.”  
  
Jenny closed her eyes and sighed. Vengeance, all she heard about for years was her part to keep it alive. Her parents and grandparents had talked about nothing else. Their life was all about fulfilling their sense of duty. She never cared for vengeance. Yes, she wanted the vampire that hurt her family to suffer eternal torment, but not at the expense of her life.  
  
She sadly knew that whatever she was building for these past few years would come to an unfortunate end. She had to play her part in keeping the family’s quest for vengeance alive. Everything she’d accomplished… didn’t matter to anyone in her family. She was just a tool, blindly obeying orders without a question.   
  
“Send your CV to the high school in Sunnydale,” her uncle commanded, adjusting his hat and moving towards the door. “Old Camlo isn’t fit to handle such an obligation for long.”  
  
“A high school teacher?” she murmured in a sudden daze. Suddenly, she regained control and charged forwards, pushing the door he just opened shut. “Uncle, the vampire is already suffering, he hasn’t done much all these years except mope in sewers. Why should I turn my life upside down for someone who is no longer dangerous?”   
  
“Don’t ask questions, Janna. Just do your part right.” He gently pushed her out of his way and walked out without another word.   
  
Jenny stood, stunned by the turn of events. The computer room which had always filled her with excitement felt so small now that she almost choked. She placed a hand on her throat, as if willing that lump to disappear.   
  
She aimlessly meandered around the room, her hand touching the computer screens as she passed one after another. Her eyes landed on the cinnamon bag and she reached with a hand inside and brought out the half-eaten piece.   
  
This time it tasted bitter in her mouth.   
  
  
**The End**


End file.
